Bryan Texas History:
The Bryan area was first settled in the 1820s to 1830s by members of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred Colony. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad began building a line through the area in 1859. The townsite was donated by and named for William Joel Bryan, Stephen F. Austin’s nephew. The town was platted the same year. It continued to grow during the Civil War (1861-1865), even though the war halted construction of the line 18 miles southeast of the town in Milligan, Texas. In 1866, the Bryan post office was established and county residents elected Bryan to replace Boonville as the Brazos County seat. In 1867, the railroad began servicing Bryan and the town received telegraph service. Many Boonville and Milligan residents and businesses moved to Bryan to be closer to the railroad and the hub of county activity. The Bryan County courthouse was built in 1871. Bryan incorporated the next year. Texas A&M was established in College Station in 1876, and several colleges and seminaries were established in Bryan in the late 1800s. By 1884, Bryan had 3,000 residents. In 1900, the International-Great Northern Railroad built a line through town; Bryan had 3,589 residents. The Carnegie Library was established in 1910. In 1910, when Bryan's population reached 4,132, the city built an interurban railroad to College Station, which operated until it was replaced by bus service in the 1920s. Bryan and College Station were connected via SH 6 in 1936. The Bryan Army Air Field, an aviation-training center, was located in Bryan during World War II. Bryan is located near the Brazos and Navasota Rivers and adjacent to the west and northwest borders of College Station at the intersections of U.S. 190, SH 6 and SH 21, adjacent to the west and north borders of College Station, 85 miles southeast of Waco and Baylor University, 20 miles southeast of Hearn, 31.5 miles southwest of Normangee, 40 miles southwest of Bedias, 54 miles slightly southwest of Huntsville and Huntsville State Park, 100 miles northwest of Houston, 53 miles northwest of Montgomery and Lake Conroe, 36 miles northwest of Anderson, 42 miles northwest of Plantersville, 27 miles northwest of Navasota, 35 miles northwest of Washington-on-the-Brazos, 52 miles north of Brenham, 102 miles northeast of Austin and the University of Texas, 29 miles northeast of Somerville and Lake Somerville, 23.4 miles northeast of Caldwell, and 17.4 miles northeast of Snook, Texas.

Brazos County Courthouse, 1955:
The beautiful 1892 Brazos County Courthouse was razed in 14 days to make room for the new 1955 courthouse. The 1955 cement, brick and marble courthouse was designed in modern style by architects Caudill, Rowlett & Scott. The 1010 Brazos County census was 194,851. (979) 775-7400. 300 E. 26th Street.